Vadio Branco, Bairrada 2022

For several years, having finished his work for the week at renowned Portuguese estate Herdade do Esporão in the Alentejo, winemaker Luís Patrão headed north and back home to the village of Poutena in Bairrada where he worked with his father Dinis on their tiny family vineyard. Today, along with some consultancy work, Luís works full time on his own wines and has been expanding his own and leased vineyard holdings, now over seven hectares, and range.

Working with several varieties, three of them very particular to his home region, Luís has established a reputation as one of Portugal’s best winemakers. He is a member of Baga Friends, for whom the indigenous red variety baga is king, and Luís works with some old vines planted on the best soils for the variety. For whites he can create wines from a palette of cercial and bical (both of them indigenous to Bairrada) together with encruzado, arinto and verdelho which Luís planted to complement the other varieties. He makes the wines in an old warehouse that has been converted into a simple winery. His wife Eduarda helps with tastings, sales and marketing, all while looking after their young son.